Citizenship report shows LGBT community still face discrimination

March 30, 2012 3:12 PM

LGBT Lib Dems Vice President Sarah Ludford MEP

The European Parliament has adopted its latest annual report on implementation of rights for European citizens under EU law. One of the issues highlighted was the barriers that still exist for same-sex couples. The report demands full freedom of movement with recognition of legal rights for same-sex couples and an end to Member States' obstruction of a 2004 EU law meant to achieve this.
Sarah Ludford, London MEP and Vice President of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats commented: "Due to disarray in the ranks of the European Socialist and Democratic group (S&D) to which the Labour party belong, the key relevant paragraph got deleted at committee stage due to the voting power of the right-wing parties." "Due to Liberal leadership, this has now been reinserted into the report by a plenary vote. We refused to let the discrimination that many same- sex couples still face when moving or travelling to some EU states be swept under the carpet. Once again the Liberal (ALDE) group has shown that it is the most dependable champion of LGBT rights both domestically and in the EU."